In an ongoing effort to promote economic development in Westchester, County Executive Robert P. Astorino today encouraged business owners to attend the Grow Conference for Entrepreneurs at Westchester Community College on May 3, hosted by the college's Gateway to Entrepreneurship (G2E) Program in cooperation with the Westchester County Office of Economic Development.
"Whether you're running a start-up or an established business, Westchester is committed to helping your company thrive and grow," Astorino said. "The Grow Conference series, which we first launched in November, will connect business owners with the information and resources needed to succeed."
The 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. event will be held in the Gateway Center on WCC's Valhalla campus, 75 Grasslands Road. Keynote speakers will be Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of The Business Council of Westchester, and Tom Kallish, founder and CEO of Tommie Copper.
The cost is $25 if you register by April 30, or $50 at the door. This includes continental breakfast, lunch and a wine and cheese closing reception. For more information or to register for the conference, call (914) 606-5616, contact the G2E via e-mail at or go to the G2E conference registration page.
The event is being held in partnership with Community Capital of New York, The Business Council of Westchester and the Women's Enterprise Development Center.
"The goal of this entrepreneurship conference is to connect budding entrepreneurs and business owners with the resources needed to start or expand their businesses," Gordon said. "Ultimately, we expect this conference to help the local economy grow as we inspire potential entrepreneurs to realize their plans for starting new businesses, and simultaneously encourage existing business leaders to expand their ongoing enterprises."
This full-day of business development and networking opportunities will include workshops and panels for start-ups and established businesses, presentations by industry leaders and a closing reception.
Those attending workshops in the "Start-Up Track" will receive information on how to start a new business. Those in the "Business/Industry Track" will be paired with experts in the fields of biotech/healthcare, green industries, construction/Tappan Zee project, information technology and food/beverage and hospitality.
Workshops include:
- To Be or Not to Be an Entrepreneur: Starting Your Own Business, Growing Your Own Business; The Essentials of Self Marketing with Persephone Zill, Women's Enterprise Development Center.
- Cloud Computing: What business owners need to know—and avoid—to make effective use of cloud computing service with William Abram, Pragmatix.
- Accounting and Financial Statements "Musts" for Small Business Owners with Holly Perlowitz, CPA, Community Capital of New York.
- Construction/Tappan Zee Bridge, presented by White Plains Mayor Tom Roach, a Tappan Zee Task Force representative.
Representatives from GreenPath, a nationwide nonprofit financial organization that assists consumers with credit card debt, housing debt and bankruptcy concerns, will present a workshop on those topics.
There will also be an opportunity for certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) members to meet with business representatives and government procurement staff in order to discuss the process for securing future contracts.
Westchester County is rich with entrepreneurial assets and Westchester Community College is in a unique position to harness its internal and external resources to provide a dynamic entrepreneurial education program for students and the community, contributing to the economic strength of Westchester. G2E is a resource hub for entrepreneurial development at all stages, facilitating programs that respond to the needs of entrepreneurs. The G2E program is funded by the Skirball Foundation.
Since 2010, the county's Office of Economic Development and the Industrial Development Agency have helped to attract nearly $500 million in new capital investment to Westchester. This has directly resulted in the retention of nearly 5,000 jobs and the creation of nearly 5,000 new permanent and construction jobs.